I'm separated - pending a divorce. Since I'm in the military, my kids stay with mom during the week and I get them on the weekends. This Friday night when I picked them up, the oldest (almost 12) asked me if he can listen to his new CD on the way home. I said, "Sure. What is it?" I'll be dingy-danged if it wasn't Britney Spears. I said "What? Hey - I've got a reputation to keep here!". Both my sons like my music, their favorite being KISS (of course), so I thought whatever the CD was it would at least be respectable rock. HELP! Anyone else suffering with the Pre-Teen Blues? (BTW - I folded and let him play it, windows up, volumn down!).

Exciter; i am in the same boat that you are, but i being the type of guy i am, i end up spending my money on that (Britney SPears) CRAP for the loved one (my Daughter 12yrs old) but there`s hope ,she asked for the 1st VAN HALEN and i gladly dished out the cash for her choice in that one>

You guys have a very important job to do -- influencing a whole new generation of metal fans. You owe it to your children to raise them right!

Though I have no children yet, I did have a minor breakthrough of my own this weekend, when I came home to find my metalically-challenged fiancee cranking some Thin Lizzy while she worked. I knew there was a reason I'm marrying that girl!!!!

The sad truth is that we have to let our kids (well, YOUR kids; I don't have any!) listen to the music of their choice. After all, we get p*ssed off when schools ban Guns n' Roses T-shirts, right? We must practice tolerance...and sympathy, in EXCITER's case.

When you feel that your son is old enough.
introduce him to the Lita Ford and Dora CD's
If I ever have a son, I'm gonna give him a
Guitar and a playboy, and explain that if he plays one he get the other!!! just kidding
that would be irresponsible of me as a parent.

Anamal - I totally agree that he needs to be guided to the "Right Kind Of Music". But, as Spirit eluded to, he needs to make his own decisions as to taste. BUT I CAN'T TAKE IT! If I hear that dang verse "OH Baby, Baby" one more time I'll break that dang CD!

Great idea about the Playboy and the Guitar!!!!

He has gone through his phases in the past, liking Michael Jackson, BackStreet Boys and N'Synch, but this newest little girlie teen idol is terrible. She has the most irritating voice - like one of those "Valley Girls" on chipmunk speed.

MAY THE METAL GODS SHINE DOWN THEIR MERCYFUL POWER AND ENLIGHTEN ME AS TO THE CHOSEN PATH FOR MY CHILDREN!!!!!

I don't have these problems yet. I just get to listen to Pooh songs and the songs from Land Before Time. I'm very sure we look cool driving down the road all singing "The wonderful thing about Tiggers is Tiggers are wonderful things....." But, on the other side, whenever the 1 year old starts crying in the car, the only thing that shuts him up is if I put in Whitesnakes Starkers in Tokyo!